Col. (USAF, ret) Pam Melroy was sworn in as the NASA Deputy Administrator on June 21.As Deputy Administrator, Melroy performs the duties and exercises the powers delegated by the Administrator, assists the Administrator in making final agency decisions, and acts for the Administrator in his absence by performing all necessary functions to govern NASA operations. Melroy is also responsible for laying the agency's vision and representing NASA to the Executive Office of the President, Congress, heads of federal and other appropriate government agencies, international organizations, and external organizations and communities.Melroy was commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program in 1983. As a co-pilot, aircraft commander, instructor pilot, and test pilot, Melroy logged more than 6,000 flight hours in more than 50 different aircraft before retiring from the Air Force in 2007. She is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Just Cause, with more than 200 combat and combat support hours.Melroy was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in December 1994. Initially assigned to astronaut support duties for launch and landing, she also worked advanced projects for the Astronaut Office. She also performed Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) duties in mission control. In addition, she served on the Columbia Reconstruction Team as the lead for the crew module and served as Deputy Project Manager for the Columbia Crew Survival Investigation Team. In her final position, she served as Branch Chief for the Orion branch of the Astronaut Office.One of only two women to command a space shuttle, Melroy logged more than 38 days (924 hours) in space. She served as pilot on two flights, STS-92 in 2000 and STS-112 in 2002, and was the mission commander on STS-120 in 2007. All three of her missions were assembly missions to build the International Space Station.After serving more than two decades in the Air Force and as a NASA astronaut, Melroy took on a number of leadership roles, including at Lockheed Martin, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Nova Systems Pty, Australia, and as an advisor to the Australian Space Agency. She also served as an independent consultant and a member of the National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group.Melroy holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and astronomy from Wellesley College and a master’s degree in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Kris Brown serves as deputy associate administrator for the Office of STEM Engagement, providing leadership of NASA’s STEM Engagement function and its programs, devoted to creating unique opportunities for students and the public to contribute to NASA’s work in exploration and discovery, and to building a diverse future STEM workforce by engaging students in authentic learning experiences with NASA’s people, content and facilities. Brown began her career at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center over 25 years ago as an engineer, devoting most of her career to working on flight programs and as a leader in engineering. As a result, she brings unique perspectives as a STEM practitioner to her role, coupled with a strong commitment and passion for inspiring and engaging young people to pursue STEM education and careers.Throughout her career in engineering, Brown led endeavors devoted to advancing the state-of-the-art in practice and capabilities. She served as Head of Systems Engineering Services and Advanced Concepts. Kris led the creation of the organization, charged with delivering systems engineering services and leadership in the conceptualization of future NASA missions, and developing and infusing enabling processes, tools and capabilities. As Project Manager for NASA’s Integrated Mission Design Center, Brown led a team in creating a new collaborative design capability for spaceflight mission design, from its inception through development and operations. At the request of NASA’s Chief Engineer, Brown led the Advanced Engineering Environment program, dedicated to building NASA’s next generation of engineering capabilities and infrastructure. Earlier, she served as mission systems engineer and mechanical systems manager for several spaceflight missions. Prior to government service, Brown spent 7 years in the private sector. Brown earned a B.S. in engineering from Virginia Tech. She is a graduate of NASA’s Project Management Development Emprise program. Brown was a Fellow in the Council for Excellence in Government, where her team was honored for creating the Kids In Science and Technology (KIST) initiative, dedicated to providing hands-on learning opportunities to kids.

Lucas Moxey is part of the NASA Flight Opportunities Program where he is serving in a variety of roles, including project management, acquisitions management, and helping mature space technologies by means of suborbital flight testing. His background in engineering, science (geology & remote sensing), and education have helped him contribute to the new NASA TechRise STEM initiative. In the past, he has also been part of several projects that included Ascent Abort 2 (AA-2) Orion, X-57 Maxwell Experimental Aircraft, and F-15 Supersonic Research Testbed.

Tanya Silva is an expert in Future Engineers K12 challenge administration. Prior to Future Engineers, Tanya had 14 years of experience as a Curriculum Developer and Science Director for STAR Education. Tanya has written over 500 National Standard based lessons that continue to serve over 20,000 students annually. She has a B.S. in Biology with a specialization in Ecology and Evolution from UCLA. In her free time, she volunteers as a STEM Consultant and Master Gardener.